Tags:

Operations are not always aware of their options and responsibilities when they suspect that contamination or commingling may have occurred at their operation. Prompt and thorough reporting can help your operation maintain compliance and ensure appropriate measures are taken.

Tags:

Farmers, do you send your fruit or other products to coolers or storage where it may be treated with an allowed material such as CO2 (marketed as Tectrol®) or ethylene? If so, that facility must be certified organic. Be sure to ask for an organic certificate before sending your crop or product to these facilities.

Handlers, do you treat organic fruit with Tectrol® or ethylene, or any other gasses or substances? If so, you must be certified organic before you receive organic crops or products.

Tags:

Operations are required to update their Organic System Plan (OSP) regarding changes that can affect their compliance, such as new land managed by the operation. However, many farms implement transition of conventional ground or begin managing new ground without including it in their OSP or inspections.

All transitioning parcels and new ground should be added to your certification as soon as possible to ensure appropriate inspections and verification of practices, and to alleviate the need for costly, last-minute inspections.

Tags:

On September 11, 2015 the USDA National Organic Program released a Policy Memo updating the status of electrolyzed water under the USDA NOP regulations. The memo clarifies that hypochlorous acid generated by electrolyzed water systems is a type of chlorine material, and is now allowed to directly contact organic products in wash water, when followed by a fresh water rinse. Check MyCCOF: Materials Search if you’d like to switch to an electrolyzed water system for your produce washing or equipment cleaning.

Tags:

Effective August 9, 2017, the fee for adding a new product or service will increase to $75 per item. The fee for use of CCOF’s name and seal on a non-CCOF certified private labels will increase to $350 for up to five unique products (UPCs). These fee increases more accurately reflect the necessary staffing that these additions require, and will ensure CCOF is able to meet the service expectations for clients and their private label owners/marketers.